Furniture glide



March 20, 1962 D. R. KNOWLTON FURNITURE GLIDE wW/ b. I

Filed April 28, 1959 12401221202"! David R. K 7403121 20%.

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Unite States Patent Office 3,925,557 Patented Mar. 20, 1962 3,025,557 FURNITURE GLIDE David R. Knowlton, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 809,413 3 Claims. (CI. 1642) My invention aims to provide improvements in glide supports for furniture and other suitable articles that need to be supported off the floor or other surface.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable glide and preferably one that may easily adjust itself to irregularities and angles by swivel action.

Heretofore, good quality swivel glides have been made of many pieces and the result has been an expensive glide. My improved glide has been reduced to a minimum number of pieces and provides a sturdy, excellently constructed glide.

Another object of my invention is to provide a two piece glide having a swivel means, a flexible rivet means and a base member preferably formed of molded flexible plastic.

In the drawings which illustrate preferred emobdiments of my invention:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial section and partial elevation showing my improved glide attached to the tubular leg of a chair;

FIG. 2 is a view of the parts shown in FIG. 1 with the chair leg at an angleto the base member of the glide to show the swivel action;

FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified glide construction;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the preferred form of glide member;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the modified form of glide member;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the base member prior to assembly with a ferrule member;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the glide shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the glide shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the base member shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the base member.

Referring now to the preferred form of glide member, I have illustrated a two piece construction which includes an all plastic base member 1 preferably formed as an injection molded member and an engaging member such as a metal ferrule 2. The base member I has an end surface 3 which may rest against a floor or other support and this surface may have depressions 4 (FIG. l) which help to prevent skidding and may collect particles of dirt to prevent scratching. At the other end of the base member 1 I have provided an annular wall (FIG. 1) which surrounds a flexible shank 6 integrally connected with a flexible web 7 and preferably spaced from the end surface 3 for purposes hereinafter described. The upper end of the wall 7 has a curved ball like surface 8 which cooperates with a semi-circular socket portion 9 provided by the ferrule 2, preferably centrally thereof. The base member 1 and ferrule 2 are assembled for swivel engagement by fastening means which is provided as a riveted end of the shank 6 as illustrated in FIG. 1. This riveting operation may be done with a cold riveting tool but preferably I provide a hot riveting tool to provide for an easier and more sure riveting operation of the plastic material. The outer wall 11 of the ferrule 2 may be of any desired shape and length but, in FIG. 1, I have shown the wall as having an inwardly curled portion 12 which engages and grips the leg 13 of a chair or any other suitable device to be supported.

By providing a pivot joint, between the base member 1 and the ferrule 2, and constructing the device so that the shank 6 is spaced from the wall 5, the parts may swivel relative to each other as shown in FIG. 2 so that the end face 3 of the base member 1 may rest flat on a support while the leg 13 assumes an angle. The shank 6 may easily bend in one direction or another (FIG. 2) and this bending is assisted by the web 7, which may flex, particularly since it is spaced from the supporting surface. It will be seen, therefore, that by making my fastening means, shank, and the main body of the base member from an integral yieldable plastic material, a swivelling action is easily accomplished without the necessity of providing metal bolts, springs and other complicated constructions as was necessary heretofore.

The modified device that I have shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 8 differs from the preferred construction only with respect to the manner in which the base member 1 and ferrule 2 are assembled. In this case, I use a metal fastener member which has yieldable fingers 14 that engages the shank 6 by merely pressing the parts together. This does away with the riveting operation and at the same time, provides a fastening means which includes a pair of legs 1515 that are yieldable and may engage the in ner wall of the leg 16. The only other difference is the length and shape of the wall 17 of the ferrule 2 which makes direct contact with the outer wall (FIG. 3) of the leg 16. This type of construction may be useful where a greater holding power is required of the glide with the hollow leg.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that I have provided improved glide members that are easy to manufacture and assemble and that, because of the construction of the base and the fastening means, I have reduced the devices to an absolute minimum of parts while providing devices that are just as flexible and adaptable as supporting glides as anything heretofore known. My improved glides are just as strong and durable and undoubtedly less expensive to manufacture than comparable devices known prior to my invention.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it should be understood that my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

I. A glide for furniture and the like comprising in combination a one-piece plastic base member, a one-piece engaging member and a leg, said base member having an upstanding annular wall and an integral flexible shank, said annular wall circumscribing in spaced relation a portion of said flexible shank, said shank passing through an aperture formed in said engaging member, said engaging member associated with said shank and said leg member to hold the said shank and leg members in assembly and pivoting means provided partly by said base member and partly by said engaging member, to permit said engaging member to pivot relative to said base memher.

2. A glide for furniture and the like comprising in com bination an all plastic base member, an engaging member, and a leg, said base member having an upstanding, annular wall and an integral flexible shank, said flexible shank connected to said annular wall by a diaphragm, said annular wall circumscribing in spaced relation a portion of said flexible shank, said shank passing through an aperture formed in said engaging member, said engaging member associated with said shank and said leg to hold the members in assembly and pivoting means provided partly by said base member and partly by said engaging member to permit one member to pivot relative to the other.

3. A glide for furniture and the like comprising in combination a one-piece plastic base member, an engaging member having a semi-circular socket portion and a leg, said base member having an upstanding annular Wall and an integral flexible shank, said flexible shank connected to said annular wall by a flexible diaphragm, said annular wall forming a tube open at one terminal end and closed at its other by said flexible diaphragm and by a portion of said flexible shank, said annular wall at said open terminal end having a curved ball-like surface, said annular Wall circumscribing in spaced relation a portion of said flexible shank, said flexible shank passing through said open terminal end formed by said annular wall and through an aperture formed in said semi-circular socket portion, said engaging membe associated with said flexible shank and said leg to hold the members in assembly, said surface of said annular wall, said diaphragm and said semi-circular socket portion of said engaging member providing a pivoting means to permit one member to pivot relative to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 679,468 Pratt July 30, 1901 842,641 Fernau Jan. 29, 1907 1,417,353 Rynerson .a May 23, 1922 1,658,244 Lewis Feb. 7, 1928 2,469,425 Andersen May 10, 1949 2,820,240 Matys Jan. 21, 1958 2,857,616 Becker Oct. 28, 1958 2,876,485 Cowles Mar. 10, 19 9 

